Tuesday, March 16, 2010

"Nobody wants to vote for the Senate bill."

Ms. Pelosi actually told reporters: "Nobody wants to vote for the Senate bill." Her scheme to allow House members to escape political responsibility even drew the ire of the Washington Post editorial page, which has strongly backed health care reform: "What is intended as a final sprint threatens to turn into something unseemly and, more important, contrary to Democrats' promises of transparency and time for deliberation."

The Speaker of the House--the top Democrat in Congress--openly admits that even Democrats oppose HR3590.

Nobody wants HR3590. The public does not want HR3590. Republicans in Congress do not want HR3590. Democrats in Congress do not want HR3590.

Why is Nancy Pelosi's reaction to the realization that no one wants HR3590 to become law is to circumvent the House rules and perhaps even the Constitution to force HR3590 into law?

Elected representatives are the servants of the people, and never the master. The Preamble to the Constitution is unequivocal on this point:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

As the people of the United States are opposed to HR3590, Nancy Pelosi's duty is clear, and is stated in the oath she took upon her election to the House of Representatives:

"I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Nancy Pelosi's duty is to the American People, not to the President nor to the Democratic Party. Connivances to force HR3590 into law without even the necessary vote by the House of Representatives are not in accordance with that duty.